Company Statement and Position on Coronavirus

What is Coronavirus

Coronaviruses are a type of virus. There are many different kinds, and some cause disease. A newly identified type has caused a recent outbreak of respiratory illness now called COVID-19.

COVID-19 can be passed from person to person through droplets from coughs and sneezes. COVID-19 has been detected in people all over the world and is considered a pandemic.

The spread of this new coronavirus is being monitored by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the World Health Organization and health organizations like Johns Hopkins across the globe.

Symptoms

COVID-19 symptoms include:

• Cough
• Fever
• Shortness of breath

In rare cases, COVID-19 can lead to severe respiratory problems, kidney failure or death.

If you have a fever or any kind of respiratory difficulty such as coughing or shortness of breath, call your doctor or a health care provider and explain your symptoms over the phone before going to the doctor’s office, urgent care facility or emergency room.

If you have a medical emergency such as severe shortness of breath, call 911 and let them know about your symptoms.

Budderfly Action Plan

As the Coronavirus (COVID-19) remains ever changing, the health and well-being of our customers and employees has remained our top priority.

Because of this, we are implementing safety procedures that should be followed for all of our projects until otherwise directed.

Budderfly is committed to a strong safety program that protects its staff, its customers and the public.

Employees at every level, including management, are responsible and accountable for the company’s overall safety initiatives. Complete and active participation by everyone, every day, in every job is necessary for the safety of all workers on the job site.

It is important to take extra precautions during this time. Management supports participation in the program by all employees and provides proper equipment, training and procedures.

Budderfly is monitoring health agencies to stay on top of the issue and to provide our customers and employees with access to the most up-to date information. Employees are responsible for following all procedures, working safely, and, wherever possible, improving safety measures.

Our personnel have been briefed to adhere to the following while working:

1. Wear facial mask during installation

2. Wash hands frequently (upon arrival at the customer location, during installations and other activities and prior to leaving customer location)

3. Social distancing (remain at least 6 feet, 2 meters) from other employees, customers, members of the public, etc. to help prevent the spread of the virus.

4. Stay home if feeling sick

5. Cover cough and sneezes

6. Clean equipment before and after entering any customer location

In addition to the above, Budderfly has established the following procedures in other essential parts of our business practice:

Stay-at-Home Orders

With the stay-at-home executive orders issued in CT and CA, both Budderfly offices are closed to all employees except for a few individuals, see below. For now, we are permitting work as required for ongoing essential activity in the Milford, CT and Orange, CA warehouses, and mail/package receipt in the Shelton and Orange offices, as well as access as needed by one individual to support IT functioning for remote work and our customer-related systems.

Warehouse and Shipping

Our Milford, CT and Orange, CA locations have been designated “warehouse and shipping only” until further notice, and the minimum number of employees necessary to carry on our essential shipping, receiving and warehousing activities may be present at each warehouse, but should comply with COVID protocols outlined above.

Kitting Functions

The kitting / manufacturing of our metering equipment is an essential function of Budderfly’s business practice. Until further notice, only 1-3 individuals will be allowed in our Shelton, CT office to perform these functions, and should comply with the COVID protocols outlined above. Given the expansive available space in the Shelton office at this time, employees permitted onsite should extend the social distancing from 6 feet to 20 feet wherever possible.

Safe Workplace Rules for Essential Employees

Budderfly has, since March 16, 2020, required that all employees work from home, except for employees whose work onsite at a company location has been deemed essential and employees who continue to perform essential work at customer locations. The following Rules apply to these employees who continue to work in a company facility or at customer locations, and to employees who visit a company facility from time-to-time for essential business purposes. These Rules are attached to and supplement the Company’s Statement and Position on Coronavirus:

• For employees who have traveled internationally in a region where COVID-19 is active, or have returned from a cruise, stay home and self-monitor for fourteen days, subsequent to returning.

• Non-essential external visitors should not enter any company facility. If a visitor is essential, the employee hosting that visitor should interview the visitor about his/her current health condition and recent travel history ask the visitor to wash his/her hands with soap and water in the nearest restroom or provide hand sanitizer at point of entry to the facility, if available.

• All employees and visitors shall be required to wear a mask or other cloth material that covers his or her mouth and nose while in the workplace, except to the extent an employee is using break time to eat or drink. Masks or cloth face coverings will be made available to employees and visitors. If the Company is unable to provide masks or cloth face coverings to employees because of shortages or supply chain difficulties, the Company will provide materials and the CDC tutorial about how to create a cloth face covering, or compensate employees for the reasonable and necessary costs employees expend on such materials to make their own masks or cloth face covering. If a mask or cloth face covering is not available for a visitor, then that visitor may not enter the Company workspace.

• Employees may remove their masks when working alone in segregated spaces (i.e. cubicles with walls, private offices, etc.). However, employees must wear a mask or face covering from the time they enter the building until the time they arrive at their cubicle/work station and at any time they are leaving their work station and moving around common areas (i.e. in hallways and stairwells, going to the restroom or break room, etc.). Continuous wearing of masks is not required in outdoor workspaces where employees do not regularly come within six feet of other employees.

• Nothing in these rules shall require the use of a mask or cloth face covering by anyone for whom doing so would be contrary to his or her health or safety because of a medical condition.

• Practice social distancing, including avoiding large gatherings and maintaining a distance of at least 6 feet from others. There should be no in-person meetings.

• No carpooling and travel separately to and from, and within, worksites. Where separate travel to a customer location is not practical because of distances to be traveled, two employees may, with permission from their supervisor, travel together in a company-provided vehicle if they wear proper personal protective equipment.

• Our kitchens/break rooms should be considered closed and employees should bring lunches from home and eat at their workstations or in cars. Where necessary to maintain social distancing, rotate lunch and coffee break shifts, and follow social distancing practices during meals or breaks.

• Enter only your own work area and do not enter other portions of the facility/space other than the shortest path necessary to enter and leave the facility/space.

• Leave internal doors open and, if possible, maximize outside air/fresh air entering the location.

• Remove lids that require contact to open for non-hazardous waste containers unless doing so creates an unsanitary environment.

• Use disposable wipes, if available, to wipe down commonly used surfaces in which you work.

• Do not use other workers’ phones, desks, offices, or other work tools and equipment, when possible. If shared, clean and disinfect equipment before and after use.

• Clean your personal workspace at the beginning and the end of every shift.

• Employees who are ill should stay home. Where possible, employees should take their temperature before they go to work. If they have a temperature above 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit, they should stay home.

• Use hand sanitizer, if available, if you do not have ready access to soap and water.

• If you have had close contact with a person with symptoms of or who has been diagnosed with COVID-19, do not go to work, notify your supervisor, isolate yourself, and consult your healthcare provider.

• Employees who have symptoms (i.e., fever, cough, or shortness of breath) should notify their supervisor and stay home.

• Sick employees should follow CDC-recommended steps. Employees should not return to work until the criteria to discontinue home isolation are met.

• Employees who are well but who have a sick family member at home with COVID-19 should notify their supervisor and follow CDC recommended precautions.

• Employees should not return to work until the criteria to end home isolation is met as instructed in consultation with healthcare providers and state and local health departments.

• Follow all safety and health protocols when using an elevator.
 
If you encounter an unexpected issue, or have questions or require guidance, please contact Lee Kaufman, VP of Operations of Budderfly at 774-545-5566